Cast Iron

Aztec Two Step Coffee Cake

by:
February 15, 2012
5
2 Ratings
  • Serves 6 or more
Author Notes

"Aztec Two Step" popped into my head when I heard what this contest was called. Then I had to set about learning what Aztec Two Step refers to (I didn't know), and then follow the path of chocolate from the Aztecs to Spain, and then the rest of Europe, with an especially helpful stop in Italy.
I found an amazing video at www.gourmetsleuth.com, which shows two women from Oaxaca (now living in LA) making "Mexican Chocolate" from raw cacao beans into the dried disc used to make the chocolate drink whirred with a molinillo. Then Blue Corn and Chocolate, by Elisabeth Rozin, told the story of chocolate from the Aztec court of Montezuma to the modern chocolate bar.
Two Step? I wanted something like a terrine with two different layers, two different colors.. Somehow ricotta seemed like a fit, and a spicy cocoa rub for pork roast was reinvented to come closer to the pantry of pre-invasion Mexico and the recipe in my head..
Helpful resources: Budino di Ricotta from Ada Boni's Italian Regional Cooking; Cocoa Rub from the blog http://dailybreadjournal.blogspot.com/.
We loved the outcome, decided it was a coffee cake, and tried it warm, cool, and next day. Each is different, each is good. It is very moist at first, but the next day the moisture is redistributed and the texture much more firm. It has an endearing look, but it's not pretty. A sieving of confectioner's sugar, a spoon of barely sweetened vanilla whipped cream, sliced strawberries -- you can dress it up for looks and a bit of contrast, but the cake stands on its own.
My sources say that sugar was not used with cacao, and cinnamon was brought to Mexico by the Spaniards. Necessarily, liberties have been taken.
—susan g

Test Kitchen Notes

My tasters and I thought that this unusual gluten-free dish resembled a terrine more than an actual cake (it contains no leaveners or fat other than what is in the ricotta cheese). But whatever you call it, this dish is certainly delicious. The eggs and ricotta cheese give this "cake" a lovely, creamy texture with just enough structure to hold it together. We all loved the cinnamon-infused chunks of Ibarra chocolate and the peppery, floral spice rub, which gives the finished dish a subtle but flavorful kick. We enjoyed this dish right after baking, but it is even better the next day when the texture has firmed up a bit. Make sure that you butter your pan really well, so that the cake unmolds without breaking and drain the ricotta cheese before adding it to the beaten egg, so that the batter is not overly moist. —cookinginvictoria

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • "Aztec" Cocoa, Chile and Spice Blend
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds
  • 1 teaspoon whole allspice berries
  • 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1inch piece Ancho chile (dried, remove seeds)
  • Aztec Two Step Coffee Cake
  • 2 tablespoons golden raisins
  • 1 teaspoon espresso powder
  • zest of 1/2 medium organic orange
  • 1/4 cup Demerara sugar
  • 1/4 cup boiling water
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 3.1 oz. disk of Ibarra Mexican Chocolate
  • 1 tablespoon Demerara sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Aztec spice blend (plus more for dusting)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 cups part skim ricotta (1 pound)
Directions
  1. "Aztec" Cocoa, Chile and Spice Blend
  2. In a small cast iron pan on low heat, toast the peppercorns, coriander, allspice and chile. When they have darkened a bit and become fragrant, remove from heat and let them cool. Grind in an electric spice grinder/coffee grinder until powdered. A little bit of texture won't hurt.
  3. Measure the cinnamon, salt and cocoa into a small bowl, add the freshly ground spices and stir. Inhale deeply and enjoy it! (This makes much more than you will use.)
  1. Aztec Two Step Coffee Cake
  2. In a small bowl, put raisins, espresso powder, orange zest, and 1/4 cup sugar, and pour the boiling water over it. Let it soak. Sprinkle the cornstarch over it and stir until smooth. Add vanilla.
  3. Turn the oven on to preheat to 375 degrees. Prepare a 1 quart loaf pan by "buttering" the bottom and sides very thoroughly with coconut oil (or butter). Take some of the spice blend you made and dust the pan so the buttered surfaces are covered with it.
  4. Break up the Ibarra disk along the markings. It is very dense! I found that deepening the groove with a serrated knife, then snapping it apart helped. Then it's not too hard to chop the pieces up (using a wooden bowl and chopper) to the size of chocolate chips. Use it all, chips and powder. Stir in the tablespoon of sugar and spice blend.
  5. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a wire whisk until they are light and foamy, about 8 minutes. Gently whisk in the ricotta, 1/3 at a time, and try not to deflate the eggs. Carefully pour in the raisins, etc., with all the liquid.
  6. Pour 2/3 of the batter into the prepared loaf pan, using a large spoon to try to keep the raisins evenly distributed. With a dry spoon, sprinkle the chocolate mixture evenly over the batter. Add the remaining batter. Dust the top with a few pinches of the spice mix. Put it in the oven, on a middle shelf.
  7. Bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees, then lower the temperature to 350 degrees and bake 15 minutes more. At this point the top will be browned and the edges will seem stable, but the middle will still look soft. You can leave it in the turned off oven where it will continue to cook and stabilize, about 15 minutes. It will have puffed up, but will deflate.
  8. When it has cooled, run a knife around the sides of the cake and pry a little to loosen the bottom. Remove it to an oval or rectangular platter. Garnish if you like, and serve in slices. It is delicate but its "body" is better the next day.
  9. NOTES: Instead of a loaf pan, use any 1 quart baking dish, but adjust the baking time -- the center will be softer. You can use whole milk ricotta, but we were happier with the outcome using part skim, and you can drain the ricotta for a firmer texture. Brown sugar can be used in place of Demerara. 1/4 cup of brewed espresso can be used in place of the instant powder and water. There is no substitute for the Mexican chocolate -- it has a unique texture that shines in this cake!
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22 Reviews

igor
igor September 7, 2014
Aztec Two Step is also the name of a wonderful singing duo out of Boston I think. Google them and send along this recipe - I am sure they'd appreciate it !!
 
Truly S.
Truly S. March 19, 2012
awe shucks, I came by for a piece of cake and it is all gone. :)

 
AntoniaJames
AntoniaJames March 11, 2012
What a wonderful dessert! I made this for my son's "sending off" (back to college) dinner the other night. Everyone loved it. Several people suggested that the salt in the spice was a bit strong . . . that may have been because I sprinkled it quite generously all over the top, which probably made the salt more noticeable. And one taste tester would have liked more chili heat/flavor, but of course, that's the way it goes . . . different strokes for different folks, as they say. My son was really impressed by the lightness of the egg + ricotta layers, as was I. Thank you, susan g!!
 
susan G.
susan G. March 11, 2012
I'm so pleased with your results, and thank your son too. The chile, as I have read, is there to 'marry' the spices and bring them out, but the heat could be turned up, or a hotter type of chile used. As for the salt, my 'sprinkle' was relatively stingy! And, you have inspired me to make ricotta. I took some from my first batch for an omelet this morning -- first batch of many to come.
 
deedee34
deedee34 March 5, 2012
I made this yesterday, and am really intrigued by it. I had "cake" in my mind but it's something else entirely -- not a problem, it's better than a cake, I think! I have no idea what the word would be instead of "cake". I suppose it leans a bit toward cheesecakiness, sans crust. I spaced out and missed adding the cornstarch, but it turned out fine as far as I could tell. I am a total chile fan, so I used twice as much as the recipe called for, but I didn't detect it at all in the outcome! My other modification was to use currants instead of raisins because that's what I had on hand. I baked it in a 6" round pan and added an extra 5 minutes for the 375° stage, and that worked well. I love the bit of crunchiness in the Ibarra layer, and I love that the overall dish is not overly sweet. I think the dusting of the pan with the "Aztec" mixture is pure genius!
 
susan G.
susan G. March 6, 2012
Deirdre, I'm happy to hear how this worked out for you, and blushing with pleasure!
 
AntoniaJames
AntoniaJames March 1, 2012
So looking forward to making this! ;o)
 
susan G.
susan G. March 1, 2012
Thanks so much, cookinginvictoria, for the lovely notes. The "coffee cake" name is due to the visual effect of the chocolate layer dancing around the middle. "Terrine" was my first idea, later "cassata." In truth, it's a cousin of all of those, and the Budino, and the Italian-American Ricotta Pie. (More name candidates are welcome.)
 
BoulderGalinTokyo
BoulderGalinTokyo February 20, 2012
This sounds really wonderful. Can't get Ibarra chocolate here, any suggestions for substitutes? Thanks.
 
sheredel
sheredel February 20, 2012
I was surprised to find some in a small food coop some distance from my home. they had some other brand of mexican chocolate bar, several varieties..is there a local chocolate maker, they may be able to find you some or go on line??
 
susan G.
susan G. February 20, 2012
If there is no Mexican-by-mail source for you in Japan, you could try chocolate chips with 1 1/2 t of the spice blend. And for the chili, any that suits your fancy. I used Ancho because I read that the taste is 'chocolaty!' Not the same, but it should work.
 
lapadia
lapadia February 19, 2012
Wow, susan g! Love all the flavors you have going on., love your head note, too!!
 
susan G.
susan G. February 20, 2012
And did you read the poetry of Lawrence Ferlinghetti? The phrase comes from Coney Island of the Mind, picked up by the folk-rock guys, Aztec Two Step. Far afield, but in my mind they all came together
 
Sagegreen
Sagegreen February 17, 2012
This looks like a really delectable glutenfree cake. When I get time again for cooking this is on my list. Thanks, susan!
 
Sagegreen
Sagegreen February 17, 2012
Oh yum! This is just divine. Thanks, susan for an amazing recipe. From the clever title to the burst of spice in first bite of this moist cake, this is a keeper.
 
Vivian H.
Vivian H. February 16, 2012
Would love to see this one... sounds lovely, even though you say it's not pretty.
 
susan G.
susan G. February 16, 2012
The pretty part comes when it is slices, and the layer of spiced Mexican chocolate has moved into a wavy line from the rising of the "cake," and the raisins have moved around into random configurations. Then it takes on the look of a coffee cake. Hope you try it!
 
sheredel
sheredel February 15, 2012
love the story and the recipe, ingredience, cake sounds delicious and I can hardly wait to try this weekend!
 
susan G.
susan G. February 15, 2012
Thanks AJ! Flies in the ointment, chiles in the chocolate... I was just reading and saving your new brownie --- wow!

THE MISSING CHILE -- 1 inch piece of (dried) Ancho chile, seeds removed. It's easy to get the seeds out after the chile has warmed up -- just open and shake.
 
susan G.
susan G. February 15, 2012
1 inch piece of a (dried) Ancho chili, seeds removed (you can open up the chili easily after it has warmed up)
 
susan G.
susan G. February 15, 2012
Two ingredients went missing, for the spice blend:
1 T sea salt, 2 T ground cinnamon
Please correct until the recipe is updated!
 
AntoniaJames
AntoniaJames February 15, 2012
It seems like the chili was left behind somewhere, too. I've had the same problems with the recipes I posted today. Love, love, love this cake and the head note as well! ;o)